The Helping Hand of Goddard
by RadiantBeam
Summary: Post JTPH2. Jimmy is depressed, and Goddard decides to do something about it... so he goes to Cindy. JC
1. The Problem with Love

**The Helping Hand of Goddard**

_Chapter 1: The Problem with Love_

"Hey, boy."

Goddard lifted his head, yipping softly in welcome and scampering over to his owner. Jimmy leaned down and stroked the robot dog's head, but there was no energy in the gesture. Goddard whined softly in confusion as Jimmy quietly trudged past him and slowly sank into his chair. With a soft whine the dog crept over to the boy genius. He gently nudged Jimmy's hand. He looked at his dog.

"I guess I'm making no sense to you, huh boy?" He laughed. "You're probably wondering why I'm moping around."

Goddard cocked his head to one side and woofed softly.

"It's Cindy. Remember her, boy?"

A soft whine.

"I knew you would. I'm so mixed up when it comes to her, Goddard."

Another whine. Goddard licked Jimmy's hand.

"I mean, between me and Timmy, I was the _genius_. I was the _smart _one. But… I wasn't acting like it. I was _fighting._ Over _Cindy_, Goddard! Of all people!"

Goddard blinked a couple times; despite what Jimmy seemed to believe, this wasn't news to him, but he listened anyway, wagging his tail encouragingly.

"And I… I said to Timmy that I _liked _her! I almost said that I _loved _her, Goddard!"

Goddard angled his head to one side. And this was new to him?

Jimmy sighed. After a moment, he leaned forward; punching a few keys on his keyboard, and Cindy's smiling face popped up. Jimmy studied her for a few minutes.

"I guess it was bound to happen, right Goddard? I mean, you can't save the world with someone numerous times and not fall for them, right?"

Goddard barked.

"I mean yeah, she was nice to me sometimes, but I was always wondering about Betty, you know? But then I just stopped wondering about Betty and started wondering about Cindy."

A screen opened on Goddard's chest: _So what are you going to do about it?_

"I don't know, Goddard." The young genius sank even lower into his chair, if that was possible, and gazed sadly at Cindy's face. "I just don't know."

_I thought you were a genius. _Goddard woofed softly in confusion.

"That's the problem with love, boy. You don't know when it's happened, and when it does, you don't know what to do about it." Jimmy sighed at Goddard's confused look. "I'm sorry, Goddard, but I don't know how to explain it, okay?"

Goddard blinked a few times, then after a while left the lab. He fell into thought.

_Maybe I can help Jimmy. I should ask Cindy what she thinks… I mean, since he cares about her so much for some odd reason…_

Goddard glanced back at his dejected owner as the door swung shut.

_Jimmy deserves that much, at least. Knowing if Cindy likes him the way he likes her. _Goddard took a deep breath. _And I'll find out for him._

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This is my first attempt at a JN chapter story, so please be kind! I do welcome constructive critisim; if you see something that you feel needs to be improved, please let me know!


	2. Nothing Gets Past Libby

_Chapter 2: Nothing Gets Past Libby_

Goddard walked down the street to Cindy's house, wondering what he would say to her. Or flash to her on his screen. He wasn't sure. He hadn't even really thought about what he was going to do; he just knew he had to do _something_. Jimmy was positively miserable right now, and for some reason, only Cindy Vortex could snap him out of it.

Irony. Gotta love it.

Goddard shook his head irritably. Why were humans so confusing? He could never figure them out, not even his master. He looked up and his ears swiveled forward; he was at Cindy's house!

No use going through the front door, he decided after a moment. Cindy had left her window open.

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Goddard cautiously landed on the window sill, peering inside, not wanting to intrude just yet.

Libby was playing a video game, and Cindy was sitting on her bed. The two girls were obviously talking about something; Goddard didn't know what, but he decided by the look of frustration on Libby's face when the African-American girl looked at her friend that it had something to do with his master and that Timmy Turner boy. He couldn't hear, more or less because the stupid video game drowned out all sounds of conversation. After a moment, he decided what the heck, and jumped inside.

"What the… Goddard!" Cindy nearly fell off the bed. "What are you doing here? Did Neutron send you?"

A screen opened on Goddard's chest: _No. I came on my own. _Libby switched off the game, interest caught. "You did? Why?" she asked.

_Private._

"Goddard."

_I need to talk to Cindy. Privately._

Libby put her hands on her hips. "Over my dead body, robot dog."

Goddard growled. _Why are you so difficult? _Libby laughed, and Cindy raised a brow at the dog's forwardness. "You're something, Goddard, you know that?" she said.

_YOU'RE something, Vortex. You're driving Jimmy crazy._

"What? _Me_?"

Libby looked from Goddard to Cindy, then grinned. Goddard groaned.

"Oh, I'm not going anywhere _now_."

_But Libby…_

"Shut it, Goddard. Nothing gets past me when it comes to Cindy. She's my girl, you know? Whatever you've got to say to her, you can say it in front of me."

For a moment Goddard hesitated, torn. He needed to talk to Cindy, but at the same time he had hoped to keep it private. But Libby was determined. Finally, he sighed in defeat.

_Very well._

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This is basically a filler... I _despise _fillers...

Genius Flyboy: I didn't know that! Guess I really messed up on that one, huh?

Spuffyshipper: Yes, Timmy has become quite a jerk, and trust me, JTPH2 is no better. But Jimmy comes off pretty nicely, and that was the main reason I watched it: because it had JN in it. And _they _weren't jerks at all.


	3. How to Explain

_Chapter 3: How to Explain _

_It's a long story, _Goddard flashed. _I really don't know how to begin._

"Well, try and remember. It'll help," Libby encouraged. Cindy just scoffed.

Goddard angled his head slightly, thinking. Then he nodded to himself.

_It was awhile ago. I remember that. Jimmy started acting really weird about you, Cindy, in the lab. Not in a bad way, I mean. _Goddard blinked. _I'm not sure how to explain it. He just didn't seem like himself whenever you were mentioned. _Goddard growled softly in frustration. _I'm just messing this up!_

"Hey, hey. Goddard, relax." That was Cindy now, coming over to pet him. "You're doing fine."

Goddard whined. _No I'm not. I don't know how to explain how Jimmy's feeling right now._

"What?"

_Told you. It's just… he's really upset right now. Depressed. Whatever._

"Depressed?" Was that… concern in Cindy's eyes? "What about?"

Libby rolled her eyes, miming a gag behind Cindy's back. Goddard's tail swished once in amusement.

_Something to do with… what's his name? Timmy?_

Cindy blushed. "Uh, about that…"

Libby rolled her eyes. "Here we go again."

_I don't want excuses or reasons, _Goddard typed. _I just want you to understand._

"Understand what? What, Goddard?"

Goddard hesitated, then he opened his screen, showing a re-run of what had happened earlier, before he had made the decision to come here.

"_I guess I'm making no sense to you, huh boy?" He laughed. "You're probably wondering why I'm moping around."_

_Goddard cocked his head to one side and woofed softly._

"_It's Cindy. Remember her, boy?"_

_A soft whine._

"_I knew you would. I'm so mixed up when it comes to her, Goddard."_

_Another whine. Goddard licked Jimmy's hand._

"_I mean, between me and Timmy, I was the genius. I was the smart one. But… I wasn't acting like it. I was fighting. Over Cindy, Goddard! Of all people!"_

_Goddard blinked a couple times; despite what Jimmy seemed to believe, this wasn't news to him, but he listened anyway, wagging his tail encouragingly. _

"_And I… I said to Timmy that I liked her! I almost said that I loved her, Goddard!"_

_Goddard angled his head to one side. And this was new to him?_

"_I guess it was bound to happen, right Goddard? I mean, you can't save the world with someone numerous times and not fall for them, right?"_

_Goddard barked._

"_I mean yeah, she was nice to me sometimes, but I was always wondering about Betty, you know? But then I just stopped wondering about Betty and started wondering about Cindy."_

_A screen opened on Goddard's chest: **So what are you going to do about it?**_

"_I don't know, Goddard." The young genius sank even lower into his chair, if that was possible, and gazed sadly at Cindy's face. "I just don't know."_

_**I thought you were a genius.** Goddard woofed softly in confusion._

"_That's the problem with love, boy. You don't know when it's happened, and when it does, you don't know what to do about it." Jimmy sighed at Goddard's confused look. "I'm sorry, Goddard, but I don't know how to explain it, okay?"_

Goddard slowly closed the screen.

"Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor," Libby gasped, exchanging shocked looks with Cindy. "When did he say this, Goddard?"

_A few minutes ago. I decided to come over to talk to Cindy after that. I've never seen him like this before. _Goddard woofed softly.

_Listen, Vortex. You can do whatever you want… I don't care. But all I know is Jimmy cares about you, maybe more then he cares about himself, and I've never known him to care about someone this much… not even Betty. _Goddard gazed at Cindy. _I just need to know whether you like him as much as he likes you, so I can tell him and put him out of his misery._

There was a moment of silence as Cindy considered this; her face clouded over for an instant, then cleared. Her face was firm, her eyes taking on the impression of an emerald storm brewing. Goddard woofed uneasily.

"You're not _telling_ Neutron anything, robot boy. I'm coming with you. It's about time I gave that boy a piece of my mind."

Goddard's ears swiveled forward, and his tail began to wag.

_I was hoping you'd say that!_

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After reading this chapter over, I have only one thing to say... _GO CINDY!_


	4. The Other Side of Cindy

_Chapter 4: The Other Side of Cindy_

"Hey, Goddard? Uh, is it too late for me to reconsider?"

Goddard turned his head to face the young blonde. Fear and nervousness floated within the emerald depths of her eyes, and he brushed his tail reassuringly against her leg.

_I know you're uneasy, Cindy. But you're the one who wanted to do this._

"Don't remind me…"

_Listen, I'll go in ahead of you. That way Jimmy won't be on the defensive immediately. He knows me, he trusts me. Just stay behind me, I'll take the worst of it, _the robot dog assured her.

"It… it's not that."

Goddard barked softly. _What is it, then?_

Libby turned to her friend. "Cindy, don't back out on me now girl."

"Easy for you to say! You've got Sheen, Mr. Steady like a Solid Rock!"

"So? Jimmy can be just as steady!"

"Yeah, right!"

Libby grinded her teeth.

"Listen, Cindy! You and Jimmy have been having this love-hate thing going on since that time on the island, maybe before that! You broke the poor guy's heart with Timmy Bucktooth, and now it's time you made things right!" She shouted. "And don't compare your thing to my thing with Sheen! I never jerked him around like a dog on a short leash!"

"But you didn't say you were his girlfriend until recently!"

"At least I came around!"

_TIME OUT!_

Both girls fell silent and turned to face Goddard.

_Libby, first off, no tearing into Cindy. I wasn't there when this whole thing was going down, but cut her some slack. Have you ever had two boys like you at the same time? No? Okay then. So don't knock it 'til you've tried it._

He turned to Cindy.

_And you, no yelling at Libby about her relationship with Sheen. Just because Jimmy has problems expressing his feelings and you have commitment issues doesn't mean you take it out on her. You got yourself into this, Vortex, and it's about time you got yourself out._

"I don't have commitment issues!"

_Then why did it take you so long to admit you've got a thing for Jimmy?_

"I was afraid, alright!"

Cindy's shout made both Goddard and Libby fall silent, staring at her in shock.

_You, Vortex, **afraid**?_

Cindy looked at the ground. "Yeah… yeah. I was afraid. I _am _afraid, okay?" she whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "I'm afraid."

"But, Cindy, why didn't you…?"

"Tell anyone? Libby, you _know _why. I'm Cindy freakin' Vortex. I _scare _people. I don't _get _scared."

Goddard whined softly, licking her hand. _It's okay to be afraid, Cindy. _

"Not when you're me."

_Yes it is. _Goddard snorted softly. _Jimmy is a genius. Do you know how many times I've seen him afraid? And I don't just mean when one of his inventions malfunctions. _

Cindy looked hesitantly at Goddard.

_Jimmy is afraid of a lot of things, Cindy. He's afraid that if something goes wrong, Carl, Sheen, Libby, you, me, his parents… one of us will pay the price. He was afraid on that talk show, of letting you guys down. He's afraid of you._

"Me?"

_Not you specifically. The way you make him feel… it scares him._

"Tell him to join the club. I'm scared of the way _he _makes me feel."

"I was scared to, Cindy," Libby murmured. "When I realized I liked Sheen more then a friend? Girl, I freaked out."

"But you got over it."

"Only because I faced it and admitted that it was there. When I accepted that, when Sheen accepted that, it wasn't scary anymore." Libby smiled. "Actually, it's pretty nice."

"The voice of experience."

"You know it."

Cindy looked back at the ground. "I'm still afraid."

Libby gave her friend's shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Cindy, no one's asking you to be brave about this. Just go in there and do what you came to do."

"What if it doesn't turn out well?"

"Then you pick up the pieces and move on with your life. There _are _other boys in the world, Cindy… but knowing you I highly doubt you'll notice any of them…"

"Hey!"

Goddard whined, wagging his tail.

_C'mon, Cindy. You're a Vortex. Vortexes and Neutrons go together surprisingly well._

"They do?"

_Yes. When you and Jimmy are actually nice to each other, I've seen the sparks._

Cindy hesitated, then nodded, her eyes clearing.

"I'm ready."

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Come on, you know Cindy's bound to be nervous... once she confronts Jimmy about their relationship, there's no turning back.


	5. Not the Way She Expected

_Chapter 5: Not the Way She Expected_

_I disabled the security system for you before I left, _Goddard flashed. _Knowing you, you probably had a way around it, but I'm not in the mood to take chances._

"Thanks, Goddard. I owe you one, I guess."

_All you have to do for me is admit to Jimmy how you feel and snap him out of his depression. _Goddard woofed softly. _For me, that's enough._

Cindy paused to rub Goddard's head before opening the door and cautiously stepping into the lab. Libby and Goddard stood side-by-side, gazing at the half-open door, before exchanging looks.

"Goddard, I am sorry, but I've been waiting for this for years. I ain't about to miss it.

_Agreed._

"Do you think it's an invasion of privacy?"

If Goddard was able, he would have been smirking.

_Nah._

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Cindy had been in Jimmy's lab so many times she'd lost count, but there was a definite hesitation in her step now. The lab was incredibly small; it only took a few steps for her to leave the doorway and stand behind Jimmy's chair, where the young genius still sat. On the screen played memories; some as early as when Jimmy and Cindy had been kids, but most were extremely recent, such as the kiss Jimmy had given Cindy when they had faced the League of Villains. Just thinking of that moment made Cindy blush, though a few good months had passed since then. After a moment, she cleared her throat nervously.

"Hey, Jimmy."

"How'd you get in here, Vortex?" Jimmy asked dully; there was no trace of the usual annoyance or warmth that usually filled his voice when he spoke to her.

"You're security system stinks." _No reason to bring Goddard into this, _Cindy decided after a moment.

"I noticed." A brief smile flitted across Jimmy's face. "How many times have you broken into my lab?"

"Enough times to save your butt, and you know it."

The banter was surprisingly familiar and soothing to both of them, like an old routine they had done numerous times, but they both knew that now was the time to break that routine, and after awhile Cindy decided she would be the one to break it.

"Jimmy, we need to talk."

"What about?"

_Okay, fine. You want to play that game. _"Us."

"Us?"

"Jimmy!"

Jimmy sighed.

"Cindy, what happened to us?"

"WH-What?" Cindy stammered, caught completely off guard.

Jimmy pointed at the screen as Cindy walked tentatively to stand next to him. On the screen was when they were both in third grade. They were arguing over something, and sparks were coming out of both their eyes.

"What were we fighting about back then, anyway?"

Jimmy didn't respond, instead leaning forward and fast forwarding. Now they were in fifth grade, but this time it was different. Now they stood side-bye-side, shoulders barely touching, but Jimmy's held Cindy's hand in his own. "Remember? That was after we defeated the League of Villains."

"Yeah. I remember."

"What happened to us, Cindy?" Jimmy repeated. "We hated each other. I mean, in third grade we couldn't stop fighting. And now we're in fifth grade… and we don't hate each other anymore."

"Things changed, I guess." Cindy shrugged helplessly.

"But why? Why did things change?"

"That's just the way it is. Nothing stays the same, Jimmy. You know that better then anyone."

"Why do things have to change?" Jimmy murmured, but he was speaking more to himself then to Cindy. "If things never changed, I wouldn't feel so confused."

"Confused about what?"

"You."

_Well… this wasn't what I had in mind. I was expecting a big shouting match, _Cindy thought, but what did she expect? Jimmy always took what she expected and twisted it around so it was completely different. "About freakin' time you figured it out, Neutron," she snapped. "How'd you do it?"

"Timmy."

"… Oh…"

"You were jealous of Betty, weren't you?" Jimmy asked suddenly. Cindy blushed a shade of red that had no name.

"A little bit… okay, yes! I was jealous!"

Cindy looked at the ground. "Jimmy… what I did, with Timmy, I… that was wrong. I know that. I mean, I liked him, but… not the way I like you."

Jimmy frowned. "Cindy…"

"I mean, yeah, he treated me like a human, but you have, to! And… I don't know... Can you _please _tell me what I'm saying?"

"I'm just as confused, Cindy."  
"Oh, great…"

_Okay, you know what, screw this! I am **not **going to spend my time trying to puzzle out what the heck I'm saying when Jimmy is **this close to me**!_

Hey, she'd take her chances where she could get them.

Grabbing a handful of Jimmy's lab coat, Cindy jerked him the last few inches that separated him from her and brought his lips to his.

And in the shadows, the jaws of both Goddard and Libby dropped to the floor in utter disbelief.

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(Falls to floor laughing)

Oh, I _loved _writing this chapter! Especially the parts with Libby and Goddard! Heheheh...

Pokey: Yeah, I know I was kind of harsh to Cindy, but that was kind of the idea. I was trying to tell it mostly from Libby and Goddard's POV's, and they might not have seen it that way, so...

ReddistheRose: Thank you so much for the review! You're one of my favorite authors!

acosta perez jose ramiro: Hey, Jimmy _did _build him... who knows what he stuck in there?


	6. The Aftermath

_Chapter 6: The Aftermath_

Time ceased to exist.

For Jimmy and Cindy, days could have passed and they wouldn't have known it. Libby and Goddard exchanged amused looks in the safety of the shadows, unnoticed by the lab's two occupants.

_Now what?_

"Now _nothing_." Libby smirked. "We just watch, and wait."

_Oh dear. That could take awhile. _

"Knowing those two? Nah."

Goddard glanced up at her.

_You sound quite certain._

"Hey, Sheen and I did the same thing they're doing right now."

_Only, knowing you two, you probably pushed the PG-13 limit…_

"I'm just going to ignore that comment."

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A few stunned seconds after Libby and Goddard had finished their little exchange (having gone unnoticed by Cindy and Jimmy, unsurprisingly), Cindy and Jimmy pulled apart, gasping slightly. Cindy released Jimmy's lab coat and he stumbled back; both were positively star-struck. Cindy was somewhere off in La-La Land, and Jimmy… was wherever the heck he went when something of this magnitude happened to him.

"Um… whoa."

Jimmy rubbed his head. "What the heck was that?"

"Emotional buildup?" Cindy shrugged.

"One heck of one…"

"Hey, Neutron, I didn't hear you complaining!"

"Did I say I was?"

"… No…"

"Thank you."

"_FINALLY!"_

They both jumped at that, turning at once. Libby stepped out of the shadows, smirking like a cat that had swallowed an extremely fat canary. Goddard padded to her side.

"Okay, so it isn't a confession, but _close enough_! You two finally locked lips!" Libby crowed. Goddard wagged his tail and barked happily.

"Libby… how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough, girl, trust me."

Cindy blushed, edging slightly closer to Jimmy, and without really thinking about it the boy genius took her hand. They both jumped and blushed again, but they didn't pull apart.

_Looks like love to be, Libs, _Goddard flashed, and Libby's smirk widened. Cindy and Jimmy blushed even deeper, but still didn't pull away.

"Girl, you two ain't gonna be _just friends_!"

Cindy blinked, and her grip on Jimmy's hand tightened. "We aren't," she said without thinking. She looked uncertainly at Jimmy, realizing what she had said. He smiled at her.

"No, Libby, we aren't." His smile widened, and a small smile began to form on Cindy's face.

"Well, good! Because if you guys were thinking of being _just friends _after that little lip lock you two shared, well, you had another thing coming! Hey… hey! I am still talking to you! Jimmy! Cindy!"

Libby's rant went unnoticed by Cindy and Jimmy, more or less because Cindy's small smile had become a mischievous smirk, and gripping Jimmy she had pulled his lips to hers for a second time.

Goddard's tail wagged harder, and he exchanged amused looks with Libby.

_Yes, everything's back to the way it used to be, _Goddard thought contentedly, then glanced over again at Jimmy and Cindy. He blinked, angling his head to one side.

_Well… maybe not everything. _

**The End**

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Awww... so cute!

Well, that's it. The end... my favorite chapter by far! The JC fluff...


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